Back from sabbatical             Canon Patrick writes…

I’m back!  Well actually I got back on 26^th November, so I have been back for a while now. I would like to tell you a little about my sabbatical.

I spent most of the sabbatical in West Cork, in the far south west of Ireland.  I was staying in a Church of Ireland “House for Duty”.  A priest can stay in the house, but must then take Sunday services.  What I didn’t realise is that out of season there is much less requirement to take services so in the end I didn’t take a single service, but I did preach three times.  Ivisited all 11 of the local churches and I got to know the local clergy and people.  In many ways the rural Church of Ireland feels very like the rural CofE, but there are some big differences.  For example, in the CofE, clergy usually engage with the whole local community.  In Ireland that is seen as the prerogative of the Catholic Priest, and the Church of Ireland ministers focus only on their own people, being a minority group, less than 10% of the population.

My mother’s family is from Castletownshend, West Cork and intimately tied up with the Church of Ireland.  I enjoyed getting to know my 3^rd Cousin, Tom Somerville and his family.  They still live in the big family house and the top of the hill.  They have excellent records of family history and portraits of many of my mother’s ancestors.  On one occasion I started talking to someone on a beach and discovered that he was also a Somerville and we were related.

As I was not taking church services, I had plenty of time for cycling, visiting people, hosting people, cooking, reading, praying and writing.  I worked very hard on the various Pilates style physical exercises that Chiropractors and GPs have recommended for my lower back pain.  These were enormously helpful and I have come home with my back in a much better state, and I find I have more energy.

I have come back to a renewed Rectory, after a major refurbishment by the diocese, including heat pumps.  I have so much to give thanks for.

With prayers and best wishes, Canon Patrick